Television (TV) content can be broadcasted to users using several different transmission technologies. Similar to audio broadcast, TV signals have been initially broadcasted by means of terrestrial towers. This technology has bandwidth limitations restricting the number of TV channels which can be provided to the user. Another technology used for the distribution of TV content is the transmission via cables, in particular by coaxial cables. The usage of a coaxial cable as a transport medium for TV signals enables the provision of more TV channels than the broadcast by terrestrial towers. On the other hand, the provision of TV content via cable is expensive in particular if the cable has to be dug into the earth. Therefore, in the last two decades mass distribution of TV content has been mainly driven the broadcasting of TV content by satellites, which is called direct broadcast satellite (DBS), or more generally direct-to-home (DTH) television. Originally, the TV content has been exclusively broadcasted by analogue transmission. In recent years, there is a clear trend to digital transmission of TV content irrespective of the used technology.
Further entire families of standards have been developed and widely adopted by the industry over the years with the objective of optimising the utilisation of various transmission channels, combining services and addressing specific customer requests. In the meantime, the developed technology enables a portfolio of services that spans from free-to-air (FTA) and pay-TV bouquets based on conditional access as well as on demand contents as for example Internet protocol television (IPTV).
In parallel, Internet access is nowadays provided by various different channels. Wired access uses optical fibres for the provision of huge data rates as for example for large enterprises. Coaxial cables can also transmit large data rates. However, they are often only available in densely populated urban areas as their installation is time-consuming and expensive. Further, the twisted pair cables originally designed as transport medium for circuit switched analogue telephone calls can also be used to provide Internet access by applying the digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. As a consequence of their design, twisted pair cables can only supply limited transmission rates across a restricted distance.
Moreover, in recent years, wireless Internet access has become popular in densely populated areas which have the required wireless network infrastructure. Wireless Internet access technologies are for example Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).
On the other hand, it is time consuming and expensive to install both a wired and a wireless access system. Therefore, if ever, the infrastructure provision of rural areas will be very slow.
Conversely, in contrast to twisted pair cables, a satellite link having an uplink capability can provide a high data rate Internet access. Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) available in the market enable the establishment of an uplink channel to a satellite. As a consequence, a satellite can provide TV content as well as Internet data to a user. This solution may be the only high data rate Internet access in rural areas.
For this solution, the user needs apart from an antenna, a receiver for the TV data, a transceiver for the Internet data, at least two cables from the antenna into his house, and at least two different cables within his house, a first one to transmit the received TV data to the TV set and at one second cable for the transmission of the Internet data between the antenna and the computer system. Moreover, in many households there are nowadays more than one TV set and more than one computer. Thus, the set-up and the maintenance of such a solution require some effort.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for providing TV content and Internet content via a satellite link which avoids at least some of the drawbacks mentioned above.